sareidle's Reviews (180)

This is a fantastic introduction to transgender history in the United States. I learned a lot about the LGBTQ+ movement and how transgender issues have been sidelined and excluded for decades. Susan's writing style is informative but I didn't feel overwhelmed by the details. I highly recommend this book for anyone willing to do the work and better support trans* rights!

In the celebrity memoir genre, this book is a stand-out. I love Drew's voice and her advice to recognize your self-worth and not settle for mediocre relationships. The book is well-structured and easy to listen to. My only (small) critique is that it was a bit repetitive, but I like how she book-ended the memoir with the story of being fired from her job and how it took time for her to recognize that she was meant for a different career path.

Katie Ledecky is an incredible swimmer and sounds like a wonderful, well-rounded person. It was great to get insight into her swimming career and how she stays focused on competing with herself and improving her times rather than the accolades or historic achievements. The chapters jumped around a little bit, and the transitions between her family history and swimming career should have been smoother. Overall, it's a nice read if you've followed Katie in the water!

The story at the heart of this historical fiction is compelling and well-researched, but parts of the prose were repetitive and redundant. I also felt that the reader was assumed to be ignorant of some plot devices and connecting threads from earlier in the book. For instance,

when Pia and Mrs. Hudson don't understand why Rebecca nursed Baby Cooper and are later shocked to learn that Rebecca gave birth to him. Yes, I figured as much when Rebecca's story of being sent to the Hudson residence didn't make sense, and she wanted to spend time with the baby.

Overall, this was an approachable way to learn about the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic and how immigrants were treated in Philadelphia, but I won't go out of my way to read more books by Wiseman.

I really enjoyed Emma and Justin as characters, and I thought that their relationship was mature and healthy for the most part. I also liked how Reddit posts served as end caps for the book. From my limited knowledge, travel nursing is not accurately portrayed in the book, which was a bit of a sticking point for me. Otherwise, it was a fun read, and the pages went by quickly, so I'm interested in reading more from Abby Jimenez!

A lovely story of female friendship told through letters. I loved both Imogen & Joan and the people in their lives who added charm and flavor to the anecdotes. I was crying by the end and was truly moved by the ending. I highly recommend this book to anyone, especially The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society fans!

I don't think the title suits this memoir very well. I didn't know Maria Bamford for her comedy, so the title and cover gave me the impression that this would be about someone who joined multiple cults. While 12-step groups certainly have a rigid structure that can be critiqued, they are not what most people understand as cults. It was interesting to learn about the lesser-known Anonymous groups, but Maria continues to participate in a few, so she's not exposing the groups or anything. The style of humor wasn't my cup of tea. However, I did appreciate Maria's candor, especially regarding the financial side of her comedy career and book deal.

P.S. There is a reference to Krav Maga about 30% in. I'm unsure how intentional this was, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. 

I'm not quite sure why this is considered a classic? The prose was fine, and there were some lines that I particularly enjoyed, but nothing stood out as exceptional. The plot with Holly Golightly reminded me of Jay Gatsby as both characters leave behind a difficult life for a new persona in New York City. However, Holly is more outwardly prejudiced and manipulative; the amount of racial and homophobic slurs said by her was overwhelming. I'm also not sure of what her motivation as a character is. And the narrator is a stand-in for the reader who has little personality to attach to. 

It is really trippy to read a dystopian novel set in your present time (i.e. the 2020s). I found Butler's warning for the future of the United States to be very poignant and insightful. I connected with Lauren's character as a fellow oldest daughter.